Lhasa Gyantse Shigatse Group Tour
- Duration:
- 6 Days
- Price:
- From USD770
- Route:
- Lhasa - Gyantse - Shigatse - Lhasa
- Season:
-
- Spring
- Summer
- Autumn
- Winter
- Tour Type:
- Group Tour
- Group Size:
- Max 12
Overview
This is a golden route that covers Lhasa, Gyantse and Shigatse, the cultural centers of Tibet. You will experience Tibetan Buddhist culture in different regions, explore the tranquil turquoise water of Yamdrok Lake, admire the glacier-draped Karola pass, grand Gyantse Kumbum with 100,000 Buddhist statues inside, and impressive Tasilump Monastery, the seat of the Panchen Lama.
Day | Route | Attractions & Activities | Accommodation | Meals |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Arrival in Lhasa (3,650m) | Pick up and transfer to the hotel | Lhasa, 3★/4★ | |
2 | Lhasa Sightseeing | Drepung Monastery, Tibet Museum, Norbulingka | Lhasa, 3★/4★ | B |
3 | Lhasa Sightseeing | Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street | Lhasa, 3★/4★ | B |
4 | Lhasa- Gyantse- Shigatse, 360km, Approx. 6hrs | Yamdroktso Lake, Karola Glacier, Pelkor Chöde Monastery | Shigatse, 3★/4★ | B |
5 | Shigatse - Lhasa, 280km, Approx. 5hrs | Tashilhunpo Monastery | Lhasa, 3★/4★ | B |
6 | Depart from Lhasa | Send off to the airport/railway station | B |
Daily Itinerary
CollapseTaking a flight into Tibet will give you a panorama of the snowy Himalaya Mountains or 1-2 days of train riding over the high plateau by crossing Tanggula Mountains with beautiful sceneries along the way. Once you arrive, our local Tibetan tour guide and driver will greet you at Lhasa Airport/Railway with a traditional Tibetan white scarf to wish you good luck! And then transfer you to the hotel. The rest of the day you will be free to wander around the city on your own but try not to overtax yourself. The first day's well-rest is crucial to acclimatize to the high altitude. Remember to drink lots of water, eat light, and not have a shower if you can help it.
Stay overnight in Lhasa
After breakfast in the hotel, the tour guide will take you to Drepung Monastery, the biggest Tibetan monastery that housed more than 10,000 monks in the past. Drepung means Rice Heap in the Tibetan language. The entire monastery is large in scale and the white buildings cluster and cover the hillsides. It's the highest-ranking monastery in the Gelug Sect.
In the afternoon you will first visit the Tibet Museum. Here you can see life scenes, exquisite clothing, house architecture, and festival customs, etc. to explore the special and mysterious Tibetan customs. Then you will visit Norbulingka, which is a typical Tibetan-style royal garden, the summer resort of the Dalai Lama.
Stay overnight in Lhasa
- Meals:
- Breakfast
Today, you will visit the most famous Potala Palace, which is the cardinal landmark of Tibet and the masterpiece of Tibetan architecture. Potala Palace was the winter palace of successive Dalai lamas. It was built by the 33rd great king of Tibet - Songtsen Gangpo in the 7th Century. The most valuable collections of Potala Palace are the gilded burial stupas of former Dalai Lamas and the meditation Cave of the 33rd great king of Tibet.
At noon, the tour guide will bring you to a good restaurant to have lunch and have a rest. In the afternoon, we will go to visit Jokhang Temple in the center of the Lhasa old town. Jokhang Temple is the most sacred temple in Tibet and it is always bustling with earnest local pilgrims since the early days. After that, you will take a walk around the Barkhor Street - one of the most devotional circuits as well as a crowded central market of Lhasa. Barkhor Street is a very ancient round street surrounding the Jokhang Temple and the locals are always proud of it. As a symbol of Lhasa, it‘s also a must-see place for visitors.
Stay overnight in Lhasa
- Meals:
- Breakfast
We will pass by Gampala Pass (4,790m) on the way from Lhasa to Shigatse and visit Yamdrok Lake, one of the three largest sacred lakes in Tibet. You can see its turquoise color and snow-capped mount Nyenchen Khangsar in the distance. .
Later we will pass and enjoy the Karola Glacier, which looks spectacular from the highway, and it's close enough (about 300 yards) from the highway. Then visit the main monastery in Gyantse - Pelkor Chode Monastery, famous for its exquisite architecture and intact murals and statues.
Stay overnight in Shigatse
- Meals:
- Breakfast
In the morning, we will visit the home of Panchen Lama - Tashilhunpo Monastery, which was founded by the 1st Dalai Lama in 1447. It is a historic and culturally important monastery in Shigatse. It's located on the central hill of the city. The full name in Tibetan of the monastery means "all fortune and happiness gathered here" or "heap of glory". For the trip back to Lhasa in the late afternoon, we will provide you with two solutions which will be decided by Great Tibet Tour.
Option A: Drive from Shigatse – Lhasa;
Option B: Train from Shigatse – Lhasa;
For Option B, the guide will accompany you to take a taxi to Shigatse Railway Station, Then take the train from Shigatse to Lhasa. Upon your arrival in Lhasa, we will arrange for you to be dropped off at your hotel. The taxi & train fare is included in the cost.
Stay overnight in Lhasa
- Meals:
- Breakfast
Today your guide and driver will escort you to the airport or railway station for your next destination. Before your departure, we would appreciate it if you could spend a few minutes evaluating our services either by filling out the feedback form or simply sending us an email when you get back home. Your whole trip has officially ended.
- Meals:
- Breakfast
Cost & Calendar
All prices are in US Dollar / Person
Economic Class (3-Star Hotels)
2024-11-01 ~ 2025-02-28 | 2025-04-01 ~ 2025-05-31 | 2025-06-01 ~ 2025-06-30 | 2025-07-01 ~ 2025-10-10 | 2025-10-11 ~ 2025-10-31 | 2025-11-01 ~ 2026-02-28 |
USD770 | USD840 | USD880 | USD930 | USD830 | USD810 |
Comfortable Class (4-Star Hotels)
2024-11-01 ~ 2025-02-28 | 2025-04-01 ~ 2025-05-31 | 2025-06-01 ~ 2025-06-30 | 2025-07-01 ~ 2025-10-10 | 2025-10-11 ~ 2025-10-31 | 2025-11-01 ~ 2026-02-28 |
USD820 | USD910 | USD950 | USD990 | USD910 | USD870 |
Schedule
No desired date of departure? Please send us an inquiry and we will try to arrange your tour according to your plan.
Discount Policy
You may only enjoy one of the advantageous policy, not both.
Option A: | 3 or More from You Join Together | $30 Off / person |
Option B: | Tour in Apr~Oct |
|
Our Service
INCLUSIONS
* Lodgings: 5 Nights, twin room en suite in 3★/4★;
* Meal: 5 Breakfasts;
* Travel-licensed vehicle according to group size & season as itinerary needed including gas and parking fee;
* Lhasa Railway Station transfer at all times on first & last day;
* Pick-up from Lhasa Gonggar Airport to your hotel at 9:30 am, 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm on the first day;
* Drop-off from your hotel to Lhasa Gonggar Airport at 8:30 am, 12:30 pm and 2:30 pm on the last day;
* On Day 5, if GTT decides to use Option B, the hard seat train tickets from Shigatse to Lhasa will be included by GTT;
* Guide: experienced local English-speaking tour guide;
* Attractions: all entrance fees mentioned in the itinerary;
* Permit: Tibet Tourism Bureau Permit;
* Travel Agency Liability insurance;
* Government Tax;
* Express delivery fee of Permit (eg. SF. Express);
* Food & lodgings for guide & driver;
* Oxygen tank for emergency use;
* Two bottles of mineral water per person per day;
EXCLUSIONS
* International flight to and out of China;
* Domestic flight/train to and out of Lhasa; (We can help you book the domestic flight/train ticket at the BEST price. Please contact us for details.);
* If you miss the free transfer schedule due to flight delay or cancelation, then you are required to pay a private transfer from USD 80/vehicle/time;
* Lunch & Dinner are not included but we will recommend some good ones for you according to your requirements. Usually, it takes 5-15 USD per person for each meal;
* While the gratuity for guide and driver is NOT mandatory, it is expected. Based on their service, you can tip them on the last day of the tour. You are suggested to tip each of them 8-15 USD/day in total;
* All the commission and tax charged by PayPal, Bank, and government when making payment. (e.g. PayPal --- 4.4%. Wire transfer --- 2%);
* Personal expenses;
* Anything not mentioned in the Inclusions;
Note
* Tibet Tourism Bureau Permit (TTB) usually takes about 12-working-day to apply. If you couldn’t provide the required docs & info on time, an extra handling fee will be charged. Please consult your travel consultant for details;
* We reserve the right to change the itinerary order and attractions in Lhasa;
* If you prefer to book your own hotels over those included in our group tour, please meet the rest of the group at their daily hotel on time. We don’t include the transfers to your hotels;
* We need to pick up and drop off all members of the group on the first & last day from Lhasa Airport/Railway Station, thus there may not always be a guide's presence but a driver;
* Due to the special nature of Tibet travel, any unforeseeable and unavoidable objective circumstances, including but not limited to natural disasters, war, terrorism, riot, civil commotion, strikes, public health emergencies, government action, major traffic jams, delay or cancellation of flight/train, attractions temporarily closed. etc., resulting in a change of itinerary, the increased cost will be paid by travelers; if any attraction visits have to be canceled due to the same reasons above, GTT won't be held responsible for a refund except for certain attraction entrance fees which will be solely decided by GTT;
* Single Supplement: our quote is based on twin rooms. For single travelers, a single supplement is required at the time of booking. If later we manage to match you with another traveler to share the twin room, the single supplement will be refunded;
Typically Asked Questions from Our Clients
Asked by Stev***
Not sure what I really want to do, but I want to visit Lhasa at the least, travelling starting the week before the National Holiday Week (26th of September start). I'm fine flying to Lhasa, flying to Chengdu then going overland into Tibet, or taking the train. Any help is appreciated.
Dear Stev****,
We can arrange the Lhasa Gyantse Shigatse Group Tour for you. I suggest you fly to Lhasa from Chengdu because the flight is very cheap now. Up to now, we have confirmed group departure dates on 27 Sep, would you like to join? By the way, please note that there isn't much time left to apply for the Tibet Travel Permit which will take about 12 working days.
Asked by Ms L***
I am Malaysian wish to join your 6 days Lhasa Gyantse Shigatse Group tour + a private one day tour of Lhasa - Tshurphu Monastery - Yangpachen Monastery - Lhasa; flexible dates
Dear Ms Lee ****,
We can arrange the 6-day Lhasa Gyantse Shigatse Group tour + a private one-day tour of Lhasa - Tshurphu Monastery - Yangpachen Monastery - Lhasa for you in July. Currently, we have a confirmed group departure on 12 July and you can join. We will arrange a private vehicle to send you off on Day 7.
Asked by Kani***
Hello, I would like to know about the tour dates, visa process and prices for the comfortable 4-star accommodation.
I am a U.S. passport holder but I plan on flying into Tibet from Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Do I need both Chinese visa and Tibet permit? How long does the visa & permit process take? I’m planning to travel alone. Thank you.
Dear Kan***,
We can arrange the 8D Lhasa to Everest Base Camp Group Tour in Aug for you. If you don't have a China visa now, I'm afraid you have to consider postponing your trip later, as this Friday is the deadline for collecting a China visa for the 8D Lhasa to Everest Base Camp Group Tour departing on 4 Aug. The China visa and passport copies are required docus for your Tibet travel permit. How about the departure on 12 Aug? We can provide you with supporting docs for your China visa application after you book with us.
By the way, there's no direct flight from Phnom Penh, Cambodia to Lhasa at present.
The tour cost is USD1150p.p. based on 4-star, plus a single supplement of USD240.
Asked by jeff***
I plan to arrive from Xining, right after the national festival. I am a solo traveler, age 63. I am a cultural traveler with no interest in fine dining or shopping. I want to see Lhasa (including Ganden), Samye, Dorje Drak, Yamdrok Lake, Gyantse, and Shigatse. I will need help with visas. I am very flexible about times and dates. I prefer to travel alone (with guide of course), but will accept a few more people on day trips. Please provide me with a suggested itinerary and pricing. I prefer to book my own hotels. Thanks.
Dear jeffr****,
We can arrange your Tibet trip this October. According to your request, we can arrange 6 days Lhasa to Shigastse Group Tour and then 4 days private tour. If you agree, I will quote you in my next email.
Asked by Pavl***
Good day, I'm interested in 6 Days Group tours: Lhasa Gyantse Shigatse Group Tour (6 days), 2023-05-30 or 2023-06-02 or Lhasa & Yamdrotso Lake Tour (5 days), 2023-05-30 or 2023-06-02. I am going to fly to Lhasa from Nepal. I need Permit and Visa. The days of the tour starting (day in which I will come to Lhasa) are in the end of May - the beginning of June. Could you please tell me if you have that tours? What are their dates and prices? Could you please tell me if it is possible that I share a room with someone to pay 720(680)USD? Or may I arrange accommodation on my own to exclude the cost of accommodation from the cost of your tour?
Dear Pavl****,
There's no direct flight from Nepal to Lhasa, but to transit from Chengdu. Therefore you need to apply for a China visa, as you need to fly to Chengdu from Kathmandu then to Lhasa. Do you have a China visa now?
If possible, I suggest you come earlier, as we have a group tour starting on May 27, and there's a girl willing to share a room with others. Is that suitable for you?
This is recommended itinerary for you as per your request. For the 5-day Lhasa & Yamdrotso Lake Tour, it opens based on two occupancies. You also can get to Kathmandu from Lhasa with our group.
The tour cost of this 6 Days Lhasa Gyantse Shigatse Group Tour is USD760 based on 3-star if you share the room with another girl.
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